


A Distant Rumor

by Anonymous



Series: Elia Martell Fics [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Robert's Rebellion, Elia Martell-centric, F/M, POV Elia Martell, References to theories I support, The Southern Ambition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 15:38:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15754671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Elia laid on her back staring at the ceiling. Rhaegar was bringing Lyanna Stark to their island, Robert Baratheon was in King's Landing with Rickard Stark, her babe of only six months was ill.





	A Distant Rumor

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from this quote: Death is a distant rumor to the young. Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
> 
> English is not my first language and I have no beta.

Elia read the letter again despite the strain on her eyes in her dimly lit room. It was noon but the maester insisted that the curtains be drawn lest she overheated. If she could muster the motivation, Elia would have gotten out of the bed and let the light and heat in. 

Robert Baratheon and Rickard Stark were in King's Landing to petition the King. Elia wondered why Eddard Stark wrote to tell her this, it was only a matter of time before she found out. Perhaps it was a threat or a warning. What had the world come to that you could not trust a Stark to stay content in their frozen North. Elia had made plans, of course. Ashara commissioned a ship for her with the monthly allowance Doran sends. 

It's been six months since Aegon was born, Elia was beginning to feel more and more like an invalid the longer her bed rest lasted. In a day, she'll sail to King's Landing to speak with the two men. Gods know Rhaegar would not bother with it. The girl hadn't even left a note with her guards before she disappeared, why would the two of them care to explain themselves now? It was nerve wracking imagining herself talking to two Lords who have never looked Dorne’s way. What could she say to them that would appease them in any way? Elia had learnt under her mother’s strict supervision but not even her mother could have foreseen this. 

Aerys was the one who terrified Elia the most. In the short time she's been forced to stay in his company, she had seen a blatant regard for the laws of the land that everyone around her ignored, especially Rhaegar. Elia had hoped in Harrenhal that there was a conspiracy to remove Aerys from the throne. Why else would Tywin Lannister pay for the tourney? In the end, only Elia looked like a fool.

The door to her room opened and Alysa Ladybright walked in unnecessarily quiet holding a bundle that wailed and writhed. Elia pushed herself upright and held her arms out. Aegon was flushed even in the poor light. He had drool around his mouth, his tiny hands clenched and a rumbling in his stomach. Elia rubbed the stomach through the blanket, afraid that she might press too hard. Rhaenys' first few months after birth had passed by in a painful haze that Elia could barely remember and ever since then, Elia was gripped with worry over the mistakes she must have made. The baby farted continuously for several moments. Alysa giggled behind her hand.

"One day you'll tell him about this," the girl said. "It would be so funny."

Elia managed a weak smile. "Depending on his character. If he takes jests easily, we'll both tell him." If he would take after his father, Elia would only describe him as the cleanest baby in the world. Then again, if someone had reminded Rhaegar that he was a mere mortal, he would not be sailing for Dragonstone with a girl betrothed to his cousin.

"Your Highness," Alysa began hesitantly, "the other ladies and I were wondering... how should we treat Lyanna Stark? She had done you a great insult but she's not Dornish. We can't be seen mistreating her."

"Treat her with all the respect her station demands," Elia answered flatly. She wiped Aegon face and began loosening her dress to feed him.

"And what station is that?" Alysa asked. No one except Elia knew of the contents in the only letter Rhaegar sent her but the girl was smart, though, too smart.

"A Lady of the North," Elia replied. Alysa nodded and left presumably to let the other know. 

Aegon ate fitfully. More than once Elia checked if he was choking, her heart in her throat the entire time. In the end she got him to eat nearly as much as he did on his last feeding and rubbed his back so he could burp. Maester Dalt could not explain why the boy caught one malady after another. The previous month Aegon's stool was runny. In the month before that he caught a cough that rattled his chest and drove Elia to tears. Still, when he healed, he was like any other child. Elia wondered if this was what her parents and Doran felt when she was so little and weak.

Rhaenys ran into the room. Her hair was wild and her dress was muddy. Little Harry Hardyng was right behind her making unusual noises that caused Rhaenys to shriek with laughter. After a while, both toddlers collapsed on the floor arguing about who killed the kraken. At least that was what Elia thought they were arguing about; Rhaenys could not say her r's and Harry skipped entire words. Septa Lemore slipped into the room, wincing at the sight of two of children and all the dirt they got on themselves.

"Forgive me, Prince-"

"It's fine," Elia said. Aegon was beginning to drift off. "I'd like it if they both slept in my room today."

"Oh," Lemore said turning red. "I was hoping that they would learn the Mother's prayer. They're less energetic after playing."

"That's fine, too," Elia said finally covering her breast. She caught the septa watching the movement with an open mouth. 

Alone with just the babe, Elia resisted the urge to go to sleep. Instead, she got off the bed. The curtains were drawn apart a bit. She walked around the room, getting used to the pain in her muscles and back. Once in a while a sharp pain would come from her genitals especially if she widened her stride too much. Eventually she could mimic Rhaella though not for too long as it strained her back. 

Rhaenys came back in the afternoon, clean from a bath, bragging about knowing every word of the Mother's prayer. She knew two sentences and the rest was convoluted repetition. Elia praised and kissed her anyway. Rhaenys slept next to her brother after gently touching his forehead and whispering something on his nose. 

Ashara appeared as the sun was dipping west. "The ship's in the harbour."

Elia was confused. "The one I-"

"Rhaegar's," Ashara said. She was frowning but gave nothing else away.

"Already?" She thought she had a few more days. "Let those loyal to him greet him."

"Shouldn't you make sure he doesn't know you plan on leaving?"

Elia sighed. She was clenching her fist around Rhaenys' doll. "I don't want him to think I'm unbothered."

"Elia," Ashara said with a little pity. "What he thinks doesn't matter, your children do."

"What he thinks matters more than we’d like. Why else would I be sneaking out like a thief? I'll talk to Baratheon and assure him my husband's follies are his alone. That man can hold a grudge, Alessa Penrose tells me."

"What of Rickard? He'll want his daughter back but while she's here he'll expect you to treat her very well."

"She'll get the barest minimum from me. Let Rhaegar worry about her silks and fruits," Elia said sharply. "Rickard cannot expect me-"

"He will," Ashara said simply.

"How would you know? Did Howland-"

"Arthur. Rhaegar confided in him that Tywin suspects House Stark plans on removing Aerys."

Elia felt suddenly weak. "Only Aerys?" Ashara's look was answer enough. "He married his son to the Tullys."

"And fostered the other in the Eyrie."

Elia walked to the bed stand where Eddard's letter was. "I got this a few days ago."

Ashara took it and read it several times. "It sounds like a warning."

"A threat," Elia said faintly. "I can't convince them to forgive Rhaegar or hold no ill will towards Aegon. They want war."

Ashara took her hand and squeezed painfully. "You have to try, Elia. They can't claim complete victimhood if you met with them-"

Elia was hardly listening. "Does Aerys know? About the plot? Ashara, please."

"I-I don't know."

Elia's breathing was now shallow and fast. "If Tywin knows, if they've excluded him.... I remember Hoster Tully refused to wed Jaime to Lysa.... If Tywin felt he had no place in the coup, he'd sabotage it and why not? He'll gain nothing with a new king. The Starks, the Tullys, the Arryns, they'll benefit and he wouldn't stand for it. You saw his reaction to my betrothal to Rhaegar."

Ashara was very pale. "Elia."

"I can't go to King's Landing. We have to- we have to...."

"What? You're frightening me."

"I need to leave Dragonstone. We need to take the children to Dorne. Gods who were they going to put on the throne?"

"Not Rhaegar, not after what he had done. Perhaps Baratheon? He has Targaryen blood."

Elia strangely stopped panicking. "We go to Dorne tonight and we'll plan there," she said numbly. "Get the girls you trust, the ones whose husbands don't work under Rhaegar or Aerys. Jewels just in case and weapons. You said the ship was the docks?"

Ashara stopped at the door. "Yes, the sailors were told not to go far from it."

"Good. Go!"

**Author's Note:**

> I always wanted Elia out of Dragonstone. Imo she only stayed because she was sick and she didn't have the full knowledge of all the plots going on at that time. I also think no matter what happens a version of Robert's Rebellion was bound to happen.


End file.
